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In this article, I will examine the scientific  principles  behind successful weight management.

Successful weight management, whether one wishes to lose weight, gain weight,  or maintain an optimal weight, relies on certain physiological facts, which, when integrated, form a cohesive theory of weight management.
The primary facts are biochemical, and understanding the physics and chemistry of the body can help an individual design and implement a successful individual weight management program. Body fat loss and physical activity Although I advocate TOTAL fitness, which includes muscular strength, development, tendon strength, and muscular power which is best developed by weight training and various types of resistance training, by itself, weight training is not the best way to burn off fat. Weight workouts should be used to maintain or increase muscle mass. Oxygen must be present in order for fat to be metabolized for energy, the demands for energy imposed by anaerobic activity-such as weight training or sprinting are so great and immediate that oxygen can't be supplied rapidly enough to metabolize fat for that energy. Its only the sugar (called glycogen) stored within a muscle itself that can be metabolized in the absence of oxygen, Aerobic activities such as bicycle riding (road or stationary bike), various cardiovascular training machines and jogging are primarily fueled by the burning of fat, particularly if the glucose levels in the muscles is low and the duration of the activities is long enough-usually in excess of 20 minutes. Jogging a mile burns 100 to 120 calories, or roughly 15 calories a minute, while cycling at a moderate pace (approximately 9-14 miles per hour) burns about 8 calories a minute. Aerobic training should be performed at a pace that allows you to talk easily while jogging or cycling. If you are gasping for breath while performing your aerobic exercise, that means you are increasing the proportion of sugar being burned for fuel and decreasing the use of bodyfat. Perform your aerobics at a conversational pace, and you will be using up to 90 percent stored fat as fuel. Diet is just as important in getting very lean. No matter how active you are, if you consume more calories than you burn, you will not lose fat. The safest and most effective approach to dieting is to maintain a diet that is lower in calories. A well balanced diet is composed of 60 percent carbohydrates, 25 percent proteins and 15 percent fats, with the foods derived from the for basic food groups-meats, fruits and vegetables, dairy products, and grains and cereals. Remember, as long as you take in fewer calories than you need to meet metabolic and physical activity requirements, you will lose fat. If you require 3000 calories a day to maintain your existing mass and reduce this to 2000, calories you will lose fat. The three macro nutrients-protein, carbohydrates and fats-all contain calories and it is the eating of too many calories that causes the creation of fat on your body-and too many calories derived from protein sources will make you just as fat as will too many calories from carbohydrates or fats. A calorie is a calorie, no matter what the source. Remember a calorie is simply a unit of energy. To lose fat, simply reduce your calories to a lower daily figure. Don't be too drastic at the beginning. Begin by cutting 300-500 calories a day, depending on your existing caloric intake. If you don't know your existing caloric intake, get a notebook and for 3 days write down everything you eat-and I mean everything, including that stick of gum and the cream in your coffee. Then simply add up the totals and divide by three-this figure will give you your average daily caloric intake. Now reduce your caloric intake by up to 500 calories a day to start. As each week passes, reduce your food intake by perhaps 200 more per day. This reduction, combined with progressively increased aerobic activity will result ultimately in a Peak State of condition. This process will take time up to 10 weeks or more, depending on how much fat you have at the start. Be patient and consistent. As long as you are burning more energy on a daily basis than you take in, you will lose bodyfat. SPOT REDUCTION-Sex and idividual differences: Comparing men and women -with their genetically diffrent patterns of fat storage and then saying spot reduction is possible because of that is misleading at best and misunderstands the whole process of fat loss. Fat goes on-is deposited- on each individualin a genetically predetermined pattern and comes off in the reverse order. Comparing men-and women-who have with radically different fat storage patterns; or even two different men such as a black (who store more fat in the buttock area) and a Northermn European (Who typicallly store more fat in the abdomen) is not valid. __________________
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Ø      Learn about the chemical secret to weight loss- or gain

Ø      Learn  how diets DON'T work- at least long term

Ø      Why dieting DESTROYS your ability to keep weight off

Ø      Find out how gaining lean muscle  INCREASES your body's ability to burn body fat

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Copyright © 2004, 2012 James Vandervest